Virtually everyone needs a visa to visit Nepal except Indian citizens who due to reciprocal agreement between India and Nepal don’t need one. A Nepalese tourist visa can be applied in three ways;
- You can apply online and collect your visa on arrival at Kathmandu airport
- You can apply at your nearest Nepalese embassy or
- You can apply on arrival at one of the various entry points between Nepal – India or Nepal – China borders.
Why apply for a Nepal visa online?
Applying for a Nepal travel visa online seems not only easy and convenient but is also comparatively cheaper than applying through a Nepalese embassy. The reason is that when you apply through a Nepalese embassy you either have to make a journey to it or will need to send the application form and the required documents by post. Both these options cost money which you can save by applying online.
How applying it online works and other information
Once ready and you have your journey details handy, go to the website of the Nepal Immigration Department and fill out the required information. Make sure you have the address of your stay in Nepal as you would need it to fill out the form.
You will need a digital photo of yours to upload with the online visa application. The size should be 1.5 inches x 1.5 inches.
There would not be any fee payable at this point as you would pay the visa fee on the day of your arrival in Nepal
When filling out the form, enter all the information asked even if the information is not marked as mandatory otherwise the form may show errors on submission.
For the purpose of filling the address details in Nepal, Kathmandu is in the Kathmandu district.
IMPORTANT: Don’t forget to print the final page of the application form once it has been electronically submitted. According to the website, a confirmation email is also sent to your email address. However, we did not receive one when we put the Nepal online visa to test. It is therefore a good idea to print out the final page with the barcode on it. You would need this page with the barcode to show to the immigration office at Kathmandu airport. If you fail to do so and don’t receive the email either, you won’t have any other option than to resubmit the application form.
Once you have submitted the form, you will have 15 days within which you would need to arrive at Kathmandu airport and collect the visa.
On your arrival in Nepal
Keep the visa fee ready which you can pay in US$, British sterling, or Euros. Currently, the Nepalese tourist visa fees are charged US$25, US$40, and US$100 for a stay of up to 15, 30, and 90 days respectively.
And finally, at the time of writing, we had the impression that Nepal online visa service is only good if you are flying into Kathmandu. This service is not available if you are entering through any other border points.
Children under 10 are exempt from visa fees.
